Jig and carrier for building blocks



Oct. 2, 1951 M. A. ARRIGONI JIG AND CARRIER FOR BUILDING BLOCKS Filed Feb. 16, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Oct. 2, 1951 7 3,569,966: JIG AND CARRIER FO'R BUI I JDIN G BLocKs Mike A. Arrigoni, st. talisman; Application February 16, 1949, Serial 8 Claims. (01. 29442) M i My device is :provided "with a .pair of similar... frame. members .8 adapted :to extend across the. 1 top ofthe blocks 4and"5"andconnectedtogether I by rigid bars 1Bextendinglongitudinally of'the,

This invention relates to a jig and carrier which is particularly adapted for use in the construetion of walls composed of horizontally spaced courses of blocks and has for its object the reduction of the time and labor required to prop- 5 blocks." Thespacing. offtheframe membersB is llf erly place and accurately space successive pairs adjustable .toeccomihodate'blocks "of various of the blocks along horizontally spaced parallel lengths and"suitable"bearings forthe bars '9 are! courses. formed 'in the fiame"inembers"8.'"Setscrews ID: A particular object of my invention is to proare'threaded in the members '8 in position to en-.? vide a device of the class described having gri-pgage the bars-:9 "to s ecure thefframe'members. in ping members adapted to engage opposite faces adjusted positions. "f 1 of each of the blocks of a pair and to hold the Depending from th, enlisto'f each of'the frame? blocks in accurately spaced relation one to the members a: pair .ofiigidjaw membersllr"" other while they are carried to and properly adaptedwto engage the outer surfaces of the re-m; placed in their permanent positions as component Emotive blocks 4 and 5. Beveled lower end 'surparts of a wall. faces M a are fornied 'on the jaiw: members l'l to A further object is to provide a jig and carrier facilitate thelowering'of the jigeand carrier upon of the class described with novel block gripping a pairfiof blocksg i'Dependin'g*frofnrthe central members and opera Ling mechanism therefor portion of each of the frame members 8::is a ri d adapted to be actuated quickly and with a mini- *support 12 for ap'air of'jawmenibers t3 adapted mum of effort on the part of the operator to pick i toenga ethe innerr'surfaces of thexblocks' l and: up, carry, accurately place and release pairs of 5. These jaw "members are'wedge :shaped and building blocks. i have inner surfaces which diverge "one relative? My invention also includes certain novel feato the other; laterally downward"for-sliding enaz. tures of construction which will be more fully e g ment with asverticallyimovable'wedge ompointed out in the following Specification and '5 The latterui's provided with downwardlyrT'j' claims. diverging opposite surfaces .adapted'to fit in s1id-' Referring to the accompanying drawing which g e gement-wi h the surfaces. ULof ltheijawll illustrates, by way of example and not for the m rs l3;1':Dovetaihcqnnections;are provided of purpose of limitation, a preferred embodimentof between the'member 11.5 andrjaw membersum n my invention: the member; 15 is held -in slidi-ng engagement withw Figure 1 is a part plan view and part horizontal its support I; by means ofa bolt -LIiqWliich has arjq section taken on the line 1-4 of Fig. 2 and showa d n t o iw theflweds member 15.1? me my device in operative relation to a pair or and is movable r t l in ert c lyel atem building blocks; slot-12a formed int-he member lzrgTheheadrofmi Fig. 2 is a part side elevational View and part the bolt I6 is provid dywith arwasher to'slidablyl; i: vertica1 sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of a e the i ner surface of fi letfl'a'me member I25: Fig. 1, one of the blocks being broken away to The We ge. member 115 carried byr f e show parLs otherwise concealed; and frame members I2 is supported by an adjusting Fig. 3 is an end elevational view showinginy 40 bolt. II which extends vertically and hasa threaddevice in place on a pair of building blocks. edconnection? with, the iwedgepmembe w At its I In the drawing a pair of rectangular building upper endtheibolt I1. is: connected to a handle: blocks of common type are indicated by the nu l8 which .isifree:forslimited; verticalcmovementw' merals 4 and 5. These may be constructed from in a dovetaillbea'ring formed; in. the 'frame meme: concrete or other suitablemolded or cemehtitious -xber 8. A hand hold reces'sztlj is. formed in. the... material bonded in blocks of sizes adaptedfor use handle l8 and .the head-of; the boltJ T is accessible in the construction of walls of the type havinga in .this recess for turning'pthe bolt to adjust the continuous air space 6 between inner and outer vertical position of theiwedge member. 15 relative wall portions, each of these portions being com t to the jawrmemberscll This adjustment affords l posed of horizontalcourses of blocks held together means for compensating for variations inl 'the bysuitable mortar joints. In Figs. 1 and 2 the blocks 4 and 5 are shown as disposed in continua: tlon of blocks 4a and 5a, morlar joints 1 being provided between theend surfaces of-adjoinin blocks,

thickness ofthe blocks-wand 5.A s'tcp"screw it" is threaded ineach' of tnehandies lt and pro} jects through a"verticallf'elorlgated 'slot -21 formed in the frame member" [to limit upward" 1? imoveme'ntfof theihandle *l 8 when the device is re in this operative position the frame members 3 rest on the upper surfaces of the blocks and the jaw members II afford stops against which the outer surfaces of the blocks t and 5,are securely held. The operator by grasping the handles I8 is thus enabled to lift and carry the blocks 4 and 5 and toretain them in accurately spaced relation one to the other while they are placed in proper position on the wall under construction. :The accurate placing of the blocks is further facilitated by providing a spirit level 24 which is mounted on a bar 25 extending across the top of the frame and secured at. its ends to the bars 9. The end portions of the bar 25'are formed to embrace the bars 9 respectively and are held in position by suitable set screws. Thus the spirit level 24, which extends laterally of the blocks and in exact parallelism with their upper surfaces, affords means for adjusting the level of the blocks While they are held in the jig, thereby further facilitating the disposition of the blocks in' proper horizontal position as elements of the wall under construction. a

In using my device, the blocks of a pair ar placed sideby side on a suitable, substantially flat support and my improved jig and carrier is 'narily the successive pairs of blocks are placed at the'ends of previously placed blocks, such as the blocks 4a and 5a, afterthe plastic mortar I has been applied at the ends of the blocks 5a and 5a and after layers of mortar have been applied to the upper surfaces of the foundation or course of blocks below. The positions of the blocks 4 and 5 are then adjusted by reference to the spirit level 24 and such other guides as may be employed to properly locate the pair of blocks. Finally my device is removed from the blocks-after merely releasing the handles I8 to allow-the jaw members I3 to be retracted by gravity acting on the wedge members I5 and connections with the handles I8. The foregoing operation is repeated until the wall is complete.

It will be evident thatthe blocks when held in the grip of my device are accurately spaced, one relative to the other, and that the'work of handling and accurately setting. the blocks is greatly facilitated.

Having described my invention, whatlclaim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: 1. A jig and carrier for building blocks com blocks disposed in horizontally spaced relation one to the other, fixed jaw members depending from said frame for engagement with opposite outer surfaces of the respective blocks so disposed, movable jaw members depending from said frame in the space between blocks for engagement with opposite inner surfaces of the respective blocks and handle means operatively connected to said movable jaw members to grip thev blocks between said fixed andlmovable jaw members.

2. A jig and carrier for building blocks comprising, a frame adapted to extend above the upper surfaces of a pair of said blocks with the blocks disposed in horizontally spaced relation one to the other, fixed jaw members depending from said frame for engagement with opposite outer surfaces of the respective blocks so disposed-movable jaw members depending from said frame in the space between blocks for engagement with opposite inner surfaces of the re-. spective blocks, wedge means for actuating said movable jaw members to engage said blocks and handle means operatively connected to said wedge means for actuating said r'novable ja members to engage the blocks.

3. A jig and carrier for building blocks comprising, spaced parallel frame members adapted to extend across the upper surfaces of a pair of 1 said blocks with the blocks disposed in hori-,

zontally spaced relation one to the other, a pair of fixed jaw members depending from each of said frame members for engagement with opposite outer surfaces of the respective blocks so' "disposed, a pair of movable jaw members depending from each of said frame members in the space between blocks for engagement withopposite inner surfaces of the respective blocks and a handle operatively connected to each pair of -movable jaw members to actuate them to engage the blocks. 7

4. A jig and carrier for building blocks comprising, a frame adapted to extend above the upper surfaces of a pair of said blocks with the.

blocks disposed in horizontally spaced relation one to the other, fixed jaw members depending from said frame for engagement with opposite. outer surfaces of the respective blocksso disposed, a support for movable jaw members dei from said frame for engagement with opposite outer surfaces of the respective blocks so dis- 5 posed, a support for movable jaw members depending from said frame in the space between blocks, movable jaw members carried by said support for engagement with opposite inner surfaces of the respective blocks, wedge means for actuating said movable jaw members to engage said blocks and handle means operatively connected to said wedge means to grip the blocks between. a

said fixed and movable jaw members.

6. A jig and carrier for placing a pair of build-. ing blocks in fixed horizontally spaced relation one relative to the other in position as elements of a wall, the improvements which comprise, frame members adapted to extend crossways and above the upper surfaces of the building blocks of a pair, a plurality of fixed jaw members depending in fixed spaced relation one to another from each of said frame members for engagement with substantially vertical surfaces of each of said blocks when said blocks are in predetermined spaced relation one to the other, rigid supports depending from each of said frame members in fixed spaced relation to the several fixed jaw members, a movable jaw member carried by each of said supports for engagement with the adjacent surface of one of said blocks, sub stantially vertically movable wedges disposed to actuate the several movable jaw members laterally to grip said blocks, a handle carried by each of said frame members and means operatively connecting said handles to the several wedges whereby said movable jaw members may be actuated to grip and accurately space said blocks in contact with the several fixed jaw members when lifting force is applied to said handles.

7. The jig and carrier in accordance with claim 6 in which said means operatively connecting the handles to the wedges comprise threaded means depending from the handles whereby the elevations of the wedges relative to the handles may be adjusted.

8. A jig and carrier for placing a pair of building blocks in fixed horizontally spaced and level relation one relative to the other in position as elements of a wall, the improvements which comprise, a frame having members adapted to extend crossways upon the upper surfaces of the building blocks of a pair, each of said frame members having normally horizontal surfaces for engagement with normally horizontal top surfaces of both of said blocks, a plurality of fixed jaw members depending in fixed spaced relation one to the other from each of said frame memhere for engagement with substantially vertical surfaces of each of said blocks when said blocks are in predetermined spaced relation one to the other, movable jaw members depending from each of said frame members adjacent to substantially vertical surfaces of each of said blocks opposite to the several fixed jaw members, handle means operatively connected to said movable jaw members to grip and accurately space said blocks in contact with said fixed jaw members and with the top surfaces of said blocks in contact with said horizontal surfaces of said frame members and a spirit level fixed on said frame in precise parallel relation to said horizontal surfaces thereof and operative to facilitate the setting of the pair of blocks held in the grip of said jaw member in a mutually level position as elements of a wall.

MIKE A. ARRIGONL REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 133,299 Bryden Nov. 26, 1872 149,866 Keay Apr. 21, 1874 1,039,382 Goldner Sept. 24, 1912 1,306,290 Van Borkum June 10, 1919 2,355,004 McCulloch Aug. 1, I944 2,472,237 Turner June 7, 1949 

